jumbled.

Oh hi! Remember me? The mother of a 13-month old little girl who never blogs, because I'd rather be reading books, taking walks around the neighborhood, pushing my toddler in the swing, learning body parts, or making a mess.

That's me!

I've just been so busy doing my mom thing that we've bypassed her first birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and entire fall season!

Whoops!

To briefly catch you up:
-We had a Minnie Mouse birthday party! It was a hit!
-She was a baby koala bear for her first Halloween. Loved it.
-Ham and all the fixings were greatly enjoyed this Thanksgiving.

These days, Adalyn is such a big kid. She can get anything I ask her to (blanket, shoes, socks, baby doll, book, etc.) and knows exactly what I'm saying. A few of her latest words include: yuck!, duck, juice (we call cow's milk "juice" 'round here, cause breastmilk is "milk" to her!), and hi! We laugh and "talk" all day, and she's the greatest little best friend I could have hoped for.

I've gotten extremely "addicted" to Pinterest - can't stop looking up new recipes for our family and crafts/activities for the kiddo! I guess I can solely "blame" Pinterest for my lack of blogging. Cause let's just be honest here, folks: Pinterest is more fun than Blogger.

We're in the process of night weaning, and it's going better than I could have even dreamed about. I'm on a health kick right now and have given up Cokes and am eating much healthier. I'm even [gasp!] exercising about 4 times a week!

Hm. And that's about all I want to say right now. Pinterest time!

Sorry, guys.

Castaway Cay and Pirate Night!

I completely forgot about continuing my Disney Cruise review last night (whoops! big surprise there!).. but here I am now!

Disney cruises have these amazing broadway shows every night in the Walt Disney Theater. They play them twice -- at 6:30 and 8:30 (ish? I can't remember the exact times). If you go to dinner first at 5:45, like we did, then you would go to the later theater time. But if you have the late dinner, then you would go to the broadway show first.

Capish? :)

Bad news for the Cox family -- Adalyn wants to go to bed at 7:45pm! So, sadly, we missed the first night's show, which was called The Golden Mickey's, or something. I was pretty bummed out about it, because it looked AWESOME. But the second night? I was determined to go! So we put Adalyn in her cookie pajamas and took her to the show anyway to see Villains Tonight. It was FANTASTIC! Folks, I am going to admit that I h.a.t.e. musicals. I hate them so much!! All the singing really gets on my nerves. But this? This was truly perfect. This show featured all of our favorite villains (Hades, Ursula, Scar, Cruella, Captain Hook, and more!) and they all sang and it was so funny!

Adalyn was glued to it at first, and then went to sleep like a perfect angel. Thank you, child :)






Hades - the main character - was so funny! I couldn't recommend this enough. The third night had an odd ventriloquist, because the main show was the Pirate Party up on the 11th deck. (more on that later!)

The next morning - Tuesday - was a day at Castaway Cay! This place was perfect and was truly paradise. It's an island owned only by Disney, so it's completely un-comercialized and everything is free. Basically. Once you get off the ship, you can line up and meet any character you want! We posed with Chip and Dale and Mickey - the different characters come out at different times all day long. But first we wanted to find a spot at the beach, of course!



The great thing about CC is that the boat drops you off right on the beach. It was about a 5 minute walk along the coast of the island to the Family Beach. Disney has different beaches - even one for adults only.

Oh, the ocean. It was the best. Disney put nets up, so no scary fish or sharks can come in! Adalyn played in the sand and was in the best mood. She loved digging her legs in the sand and crawling around like our little sea crab :]




We worked up an appetite and headed over to Cookies Too, Disney's free restaurant! Hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, BBQ chicken, tomato basil salad, cole slaw, and a ton of other food plus an array of desserts.. unlimited! You just stand in line and get as much as you want. They have these beautiful pavilions to sit under and enjoy your lunch. Adalyn scarfed down their famous chocolate chip cookies and banana nut bread. The servers from the cruise are there to help you - they took my tray for me and brought it to my table. So helpful!



What else can I say about Castaway Cay? It just wonderful. If you're worried about the beach being overrun with kids, think again! We were able to find our own secluded spot with a huge umbrella for shade, and I rocked Adalyn to sleep in complete peace. Then, when she woke up, I seriously nursed Adalyn out on the beach right next to the water. Um, a mother's paradise! It could not have been better. We then walked around to the gift shops, took photos, and just took in the beauty of the island!

Then? Back on the boat! We wanted to take Adalyn to Nemo's Reef, which is their baby splash pad for children who are not yet potty-trained. The ship has 3 pools, I believe.. an 18+ pool, two kids pools, and then a big splash pad. We were the only ones in the splash pad when we went, so Adalyn was able to crawl around and explore!



Mark was itching to take a ride on the Aqua Duck - Disney Dream's huge water slide that wraps around the whole ship. He loved it!! I got my camera out just in time to snap this photo:




After a surprise encounter with Donald Duck and Lilo, it was time to get ready for Pirate Night! Disney surprised us with little bandanas to dress like a pirate for dinner, and they gave us some Mickey tattoos! So fun. Of course we dressed up our little buccaneer! The dinner was a special seafood-type deal, and it was fantastic. I had shrimp and scallops, and the shrimp were still in the shell! But the food was absolutely delicious. I scarfed it down so fast! Mark had some beef something-or-other. And Adalyn? Well, we made the mistake of ordering her macaroni and cheese. The kid hates macaroni and cheese.





But tonight was special because our servers celebrated her first birthday! She got her very own little chocolate mousse cake, a birthday pin, and everyone sang to her! It was so sweet. She just stared in awe.



And with that, our third cruise day was over!

Tomorrow's post will include: A day at sea, meeting the Disney Princesses, and the fancy schmancy night! Plus the special things that Disney does for their cruisers!

Disney Dream Review! Part ONE!

Hi, remember me? Yeah, I didn't think so. It's been a month and a half since I last checked in. Since then, our babe has grown so much and celebrated her first birthday with a Minnie Mouse party. Oh, and we also went on a Disney Cruise! Which is why I'm here -- to tell you all the ins and outs of our cruise!

We took a 5-day, 4-night cruise on the Disney Dream to Nassau and Castaway Cay. Castaway Cay is Disney's private island in the Bahamas, and it is absolutely paradise. But more on that later!





We stayed in a Deluxe Stateroom with a Verandah (a balcony), which I completely recommend. There's nothing better than having your own private and quiet space to sit and enjoy your personal ocean view. While Adalyn napped, we could go outside. And when she wasn't napping, she absolutely LOVED crawling out on the verandah and exploring the ocean for herself.

I'm trying to think of everything to tell you guys, but there's just so much. Basically, I will just say that you would think this cruise would be just over-run with children and would be so loud and crazy. Um, definitely not. There were tons of older people, single couples, etc. with no children! And the children that were there were absolutely well behaved. I mean, they were on the Disney Cruise. With Mickey Mouse. Of course they were all in the best of moods! But really, the cruise isn't crowded at all. We were always able to get any seat we wanted, we were the *only people* in the splash pad when we went, and it was just fantastic for our family.

The best part? The food. "Cabanas" is a buffet-style area on deck 11 with 9 stations. Basically any food you can imagine is here -- every meat, every side dish, every dessert.. it's pretty amazing. All Coke products, milk, coffee, and juices are free, which is one of the perks of Disney! We were always able to get a window seat while eating, so we could view the ocean! Perfect!

Our first dinner was at Animator's Palate - this restaurant is designed with Disney's animations. During the meal, the animations come to life. The screens turn to the ocean, and Crush, Dory, Nemo, and Bruce come and talk! They've got some secret cameras (or something?!) and actually talk personally to the kids. Ex: "Hey you in the blue shirt! What's your name?! Are you liking your chocolate ice cream?" Or whatever. The kids ate.it.up. It was pretty cute, and Adalyn stared a hole through Crush when he came on!





Our babe was r.e.a.d.y. for bed by the end of dinner (turns out she's a huge fan of french fries with lots of ketchup!) and we had to miss the Golden Mickeys, which is an amazing musical in the Walt Disney theater. I saw a preview of it on tv, and it looked just spectacular. Stinky that we had to turn in so early, but we had to get rested up for our next day...

Nassau!



Mark and I had already been to Nassau on our honeymoon and took a full tour, so we decided to book a different type of excursion this time around and went with the Atlantis Beach Day. Basically, a bus took us to Atlantis, and we got a tour of the resort and were able to get access to their private little cove. It was pretty spectacular, though the walk there wore us completely out. Poor baby had red cheeks from being so hot, so we were ready to jump in the ocean!

We loved the beach but decided to head back to the boat in the early afternoon. And it's a good thing we did, because a downpour of rain came flooding in as soon as we got on the boat! I forgot to mention that one of the neat things about a Disney cruise is your "Key to the World Cards." Each person has their own card - including babies! - and you do everything with your card. Including turning your lights and tv on in your stateroom! You disembark with your card and then scan it again when you board back on the ship. I think it's a fantastic idea, because we had to use our passports to board back on the ship with Carnival. Much easier this way!

We finished our second day with a dinner at the Enchanted Garden, which is themed around princess-y stuff (?). The ceiling and flowers turned from daytime to nighttime throughout the course of our meal. It was pretty.. well, enchanting, and Adalyn loved the beautiful water fountain. I loved the lobster ravioli - I was practically licking the plate. Kidding. Kind of. I had a jumbo prime rib and the most amazing desserts.

Adalyn was more hyper than ever and was in such a good mood. The Disney Cruise was seriously enchanting for her. She just LOVED it!





She also loved the unlimited chocolate ice cream. Is that dirty little Minnie Mouse cute or what!?

And that sticky little critter just woke up from her awesome nap. Tune in tomorrow for a review of Villains Tonight, Castaway Cay, and Pirate's Night!

(Questions? Comments? I have no idea what you all - those of you who asked me to blog about this - want me to cover. There's just so! much! to say! I could write a novel... )

a post that ended up being super sappy.

Guess who only weighs 17.9 pounds at 10.5 months?

Guess who is only in the 10th percentile for weight?

And the 25th percentile for height?

And the 75th for head size? (big brains for a smart toot!)

Guess who climbed up the stairs (caught her on the 3rd one) today while we turned our backs for a second?

Guess who is suddenly super attached to mama and actually - for the first time - cries for me to hold her?

Guess who said the word "clap" today while clapping?

Guess who stops dead in her tracks, flips around to face the television, then dances to The Hot Dog Song when it comes on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?


Why, it's Adalyn, of course!

Yep, her well check-up was today, and it went fabulous - despite leaving with tears streaming down her face -- a HepB and flu shot will do that to ya. I really didn't want to give her a flu shot. No reason specifically. I just hate giving her shots. But we decided to on a whim at her appointment.

Anyway.

We quizzed her doctor with a few questions -- most importantly about her sleep "issues." Adalyn is a horrible sleeper. Since the day I moved back to Kentucky when she was 8 weeks, it's been downhill since. I'll save everyone the major details but just say: she sometimes looks extremely uncomfortable, wakes up about 4-5 times a night (just to nurse for about... 1 minute each time), and randomly wakes herself up by trying to crawl or sit up in her sleep.

Lots of issues here. But common issues, so I'm not too worried or anything. The girl won't be waking to nurse at 10 years old.

At least we hope not, anyway ;)

So her doctor gave us a new "trick" to try. I'm not going to tell any of you all just yet, because it seems a little crazy to me... and I don't want to spill the beans unless it actually works. But tonight is night one of our little science experiment, and so far it seems to be working great. She usually wakes up 1 hour after going to sleep - and we aren't to that point yet - but hopefully it works.

I really try to keep everything in perspective when it comes to parenting. At the time, it seems like everything is SUCH a big deal. Like I should be freaking out that my 10-month old is a bad, bad sleeper. But during the day she is an angel. Full of smiles, developing just dandy, and life is good! Her sleep will work itself out. I'm trying to focus on her needs at this time in her life. And if she needs a little breastmilk 5 times at night? Sigh. Well, then that's what she needs right now.

Speaking of which, this past week I randomly burst out with watering eyes at the fact that she's growing up. What is wrong with me!? Seriously, every child grows up. But I feel like this time in her life where I get to pack her around, nurse her, hold her tight, squeeze her baby hands, kiss her teeny toes, rub the nape of her neck, smell her baby hair, and sleep with her squashed to me.. I feel like those days will be ending very, very soon. I feel like in a flash she will be five, and my baby will be gone. And she won't need me anymore. And I won't be able to hold her and squish her anymore. We joke that when the time comes that I feel like my "baby" is too big, it's time to have another one! Although we aren't joking at all, actually.

She's laying next to me now on her belly. She's breathing in perfect rhythm. Her little cheek is pressed on the sheets and she looks like absolute perfection. She is more than I could have dreamed of. I never want this to end.

10 best of 10

...And now for the TOP 10 best things about having a 10-month old!

10. You have your own little live audience now, and someone thinks you're the funniest person EVER. And those loud, explosive giggles? Those never get old.

9. You've also become the most popular person on the block, and a certain someone zooms across the room just to be near you. It sure does make you feel loved to have a little toot on your heels at all times!

8. That amazing meal you just cooked? You can now share it with your best buddy and marvel at how she gobbles it up like you're the best cook ever!

7. She's become Miss Independent, but there's no place like Mama's Arms.

6. She now imitates you. Which can be a funny and cute thing.

5. "Can I have a kiss?!" now means huge open mouthed French kisses from your Mini Me. And those, my friends, are the sweetest (and stickiest!)

4. Those 12-month clothes are just too cute.

3. She literally learns something new every day and it is a complete joy to watch.

2. Her personality is now really showing! She's her own little person!

1. She now really is your best friend. You can tell her anything, and she won't tell your secrets :) She loves you no matter what. You two experience life together, and she has opened your eyes up to a world you never knew existed.

Oh how I will miss this time in our lives! It is PURE fun, joy, and excitement!

I just miss her in my belly.

Boy, I miss being pregnant. I remember the exact moment that I looked at my little pee stick and saw the faintest of lines. I'm pretty sure that my heart stopped beating for just a second. It was the most life-changing moment for me.

I loved every second of being pregnant. Sure, I threw up like it was my full-time job, and it was often pretty painful, butttttt it was an amazing experience. This was me a year ago. And it definitely does seem like a year ago!! Crazy how things have changed and how far we've all come since September 2010.

Now we have a big girl on our hands. A super independent big girl that never wants to cuddle yet is majorly attached to her mama. My little buddy follows me around the house and flies around crawling to catch up to me.

How is it that my little girl is already giving her babies hugs and kisses? Oh she is the epitome of sweetness personified.

the teeth that just wouldn't come through.

Okay, top teeth, you can come in ANY TIME now!

I miss my gummy-smiled baby. True, her bottom teeth are insanely cute, but these teeth have been nothing but trouble. I'm pretty sure that they're solely to blame for my baby's restlessness at night and her random outcries in the middle of the night.

We're in a season (a long, seemingly never-ending season) of poor sleep habits. I have no idea what to do but to pull up my mommy panties (oh and I most certainly do own them!) and truck on and hope things settle down. Soon. Once she's asleep, we flip on the baby monitor and watch her squirm. Toss. Turn. TossTurn. Flip. Flop. Constantly! I've never seen anyone look more uncomfortable in my life.

Sigh!

She's also got this new thing where she's fast asleep. So peaceful. Then suddenly! BOOM! She pushes right up and tries to practice her crawling at 2am. Thankfully, Dr. Sears says this is normal (#8 on the list) but it's rough to watch. She was such a great sleeper at 6 weeks old. 5 hour stretches. Not a peep at night! Oh how I miss those days.

So come on in, top teeth! I've had it with you. I can see you peeking through my baby's swollen gums, and we're ready for you to make your long-awaited appearance.

Signed,
Annoyed Mom and Baby

PARTY!

I've been planning her first birthday party for quite a while now, and I settled on Minnie Mouse as the theme -- not only because we love Minnie, but it coincides with our first family vacation that we'll be taking three days after her first birthday!

So..

Birthday outfit? Check.
Birthday invitations? Decided upon but not ordered!

...And that's about as far as I've gotten!

We do know that it will be a cookout with hamburgers and hot dogs - how cute and fun will Mickey head-shaped cheese be?! I've decided to make her birthday cake, and I'm pretty petrified of it. I've never worked with fondant or buttercream, and I highly doubt my skills. All I really know at this point is that I want a Mickey head on top with a bow. And the cake will either be white with red polka dots or red with white polka dots.

Scary.

Decorations? Well, my sister is making her birthday banner. And me.. well, I've decided to attempt Martha Stewart's tissue paper pom poms:

How adorable are those?! Cheap, cute decorations! Hopefully I can pull those off too!

I am thrilled to death for this party. I think we might even rent the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Halloween" DVD and play it at the end of the party. The only thing that would make this party perfect is the presence of my three nephews. I so, so wish they could be a part of her celebration!

Her party is in 40 days, and I can't wait!

my 10-month old!

Smack-dab in the middle of hurricane Irene is a great time to blog, right? Right!

Oh, I'll save the bit about me being a terrible blogger. Cause you know by now that I am. I used to have so much to say. And now? Now that I'm happier than ever, have so much going on, and am so busy, I have lost all creativity. It's just gone.

But here we are, and Adalyn is now 10 months old.

Ad, you're more social than ever. You wave and say "hi" (verbally) to everyone you see in the stores. You especially love waving to other kids, and it's downright adorable. You'll let anyone hold you, and you're always full of smiles.

Last month, you learned how to crawl. In just a few days, she went from immobile to FLYING around the house! You love to go anywhere where you shouldn't. Your favorite spots: the family room and kitchen. Your new loves are the animal magnets on our refrigerator and Piper's leashes & poochie bell on our back door.

You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the freaky pirates, Sharkey & Bones, on the Disney Channel. You love to pull Piper's hair. You love balls and puzzles and any toy that makes noise. You love eating adult food, and you've already had your own little chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A. You're already self-weaning, and we nurse as you're waking up, twice during the day, and I nurse you to bed. Oh, and you like to snack all night long.

You're a terrible sleeper, by the way :)

You love to talk, and just today you learned to say baby. You know how to give kisses and hugs to your baby dolls, and you LOVE to hold babies!

You are Miss Independent, and you are one determined baby. I can already tell that as you grow, you will go after what you want and you will get it. You still think I'm the best thing ever, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to get snuggles from you - though they are few and far between! I love you, my little Ad :)

I wasn't kidding.

yep.